Do any birth interventions affect these things (vitamin levels, etc.)?

[smeep]

I'm working on a paper for my CLE and discussing supposed "inadequacies" of breastmilk...like how we are told to supplement with various vitamins, for jaundice, etc. Sooo...

Do any birth interventions affect a baby's iron, vitamin D, vitamin K or bilirubin levels? Do any affect the levels of those things in a mother's milk, or what may affect it that's commonplace now but not normal for our species? What about that in relation to preemie milk, or a preemie's need for additional supplements that may not have been needed without certain interventions? What about interventions post-birth, such as cord clamping/cutting, separation of mom and baby, no skin-to-skin contact, etc.?

I do know that immediate cord clamping/cutting is directly correlated with lower iron stores in the baby, which is what got me thinking about a lot of this stuff. Honestly, what I have written would more than suffice, but I'm a nerd and just get more and more curious! Also, if anyone has ANY information on the study that was the basis of determining "normal" iron levels, I would absolutely LOVE it! I know the study for "normal" newborn vit K levels was greatly flawed and very likely showed lower levels than a baby who was nursing properly and exclusively.

Thanks!!!

[jennica]

I know with vitamin D, a lot of people are deficient. We all stay out of the sun and wear sunscreen now to avoid skin cancer, as well as lead mostly indoor lives. We just don't get sufficient amounts of Vitamin D anymore. It's also a vitamin that is not stored in the body, so it has to be constantly replenished. If a mother is deficient in D, her baby will be too. I don't see how an intervention could affect that.